Insulator and support for electrically charged fence wires

ABSTRACT

A reusable insulator and support for attaching electrically charged fence wire to fence posts or rods comprises a flexible, strip-form member composed of a dielectric material. The support member has a portion deflectable into a configuration for encircling the fence wire and is attachable to the fence post in a manner to support the fence wire on the post.

Unite States Patet n91 Oltmanns INSULATOR AND SUPPORT FOR ELECTRICALLY CHARGED FENCE WllRES [76] Inventor: George F. Oltmanns, 2528 Pensacola Ave, Chicago, Ill. 60618 22 Filed: Ma -19, 1972 211 App]. No.1 255,038

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of 501'. No. 1 18,406, Feb. 24, l97 l, Pat. No.

[52] Cl. 256/10, 174/158 F, l74/l64,

51 lnt.C| AOllt 3/00 58 Field ofSearch 256/10, 47, 48,1;

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Moeller 256/) x June 4,1974

3.568980 3/l97l l lulburt 256/!0 Primary ExaminerDennis L. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or FirmHill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson 57 ABSTRACT A reusable insulator and support for attaching electrically charged fence wire to fence posts or rods comprises a flexible, strip-form member composed of a dielectric material. The su'pport member has a portion deflectable into a configuration for encircling the fence wire and is attachable to the fence post in a manner to support the-fence wire on the post.

13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures This-is a division, of application'Ser. No. 118,406, tiled Feb. 24, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,684,247.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a support and insulator device for fence wire, and more particularly to a reusable, flexible, strip-form member for supporting electrically charged fence wire on a fence post in a spaced, electrically insulated relationship.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION Electrified fences are oftentimes utilized for temporary fence enclosures, and thus, the present invention provides a reusable insulator and support for quickly attaching electrically conductive fence wire tofence posts of any one of the common configurations, such as wooden posts, T-posts, small diametered rods and the like.

an insulating. support device made from strip flexible insulating materialhaving a pair of parallel, spacedapart slots formed therein, open at a common side edge of the material and terminating inwardly of an'opposite side edge of material to form a'pair of tabs outwardly of the slot with a central body portion therebetween. The tabs are folded inwardly along axes generally colinearly of the slots into overlapping relation with respect to the central body portion. Each tab has at least one apertured portion and the central body portion has apertured portions disposed to register with said apertured portions formed in said tabs when the tabs are folded over the body portion. Attachment means pass through the aligned aperture portions to retain the tabs in their folded position. The tabs thus cooperate with the central body portion to form at least one loop extending about an adjoining fence wire for supporting the wire and restraining the wire against displacement. The support device is usually nailed to a fence post by a nail passing through the transverse center thereof and adjacent the upper end thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide areusable, flexible, strip-form member configured and arranged to be deflected into a wiresupporting configuration and attached to an adjoining fence post in a manner to retain thesupport member in the deflected position for supporting an electrically conductive fence wire in an insulated relationship on the fence post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 2 is a rear plan view, taken substantially as shown by line IIII of FIG. 1, and illustrates the assembled support device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank utilized to form the insulator and support device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, and first particularly referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, inclusive, a device of the present invention for insulating and supporting an electrically conductive fence wire ill on a fence post 63.

In the embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 33, inclusive, I provide a strip-form, flexible supporting and insulating member 51 including a pair of flexible tabs 52, 52 configured to be deflected or folded into a configuration forming a wire-encircling loop or slot 55 and being retained in that configuration by appropriate attachment means. The insulating and supporting member 51 has a pair of parallel, spacedapart slots 53, 53 opening at one side edge 54 and terminating inwardly of an opposite or bottom side edge 56, thereby to divide the supporting member into a central or medial body portion 57. flanked by the pair of deflectable, loop forming tabs 52, 52.

In use, each of the tabs 52, 52 is folded about an axis extending substantially colinearly of the associated slot 53 and to a position partially overlapping the central body portion 57. In that manner, the deflectable tabs 52 cooperate with the central body portion 57 to define a wire-encircling loop or slot for receiving the wire 11 and restraining the same against displacement. If desired, the inner end portion of each of the slots 53 may include an enlarged cutout 59 sized to form a pocket or recess for receiving the wire ll 1 when the tabs are inwardly folded in their assembled relationship.

In order to retain the tabs 52 in their deflected,-assembled relationship each of the tabs have at least one aperture 61 formed therein and disposed thereon'to be in alignment with associated ones of a pair of spacedapart apertures 62 formed in the central body portion 57 of the member 51. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, attachment means for securing the member 511 to a fence post, such as the wooden fence post 63 may include a that the present invention contemplates providing a flexible, strip-form device for supporting an electrically charged fence wire on an adjoining fence post in a spaced and electrically insulated relationship providing an insulating supporting member comprising a flexible portion which is deflected into a wire-encircling loop and retained in that configuration by attachment of the support member to the associated fence post.

Although those versed in the art may suggest various minor modifications, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warproperly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A support device for supporting an. electrically charged fence wire on a fence post or rod in a spaced and electrically insulated relationship with respect thereto comprising:

a flexible, strip-form material composed of a dielectric material and including a strip-form body and at least two tabs folded from the ends of said strip-form body over said body an having aligned apertured portions at opposite ends of said body for supporting a wire threaded therethro gh, and means retaining said ends in folded relation with respect to said body and securing said body to a fence post and the like.

2 The insulating support device of claim 1 further characterized by said strip-form body having a pair of parallel-spaced-apart slots formed therein,opening at a common side edge of said strip-form body and terminating inwardly of an opposite side edge, thereby to form a pair of tabs outwardly of said slots with a central body portion therebetween, said tabs forming said flexible portion and being foldedinwardly along axes extending generally coline'arly of said slots and overlapping said strip-form body, each said tab having at least one aperture formed therein, and said strip-form body portion having apertures formed therein and disposed to be in alignment with said apertures formed in said tabs when the same are folded over said strip-form body, and said attachment means passing through aligned ones of said apertures to retain said tabs in their folded position, whereby said folded tabs cooperate with said central body portion to form loops encircling an adjoining fence wire for supporting the wire and restraining the same against displacement.

3. The insulating support device of claim 2, wherein the attachment means to retain the tabs in their folded position also retains the device to a 

1. A support device for supporting an electrically charged fence wire on a fence post or rod in a spaced and electrically insulated relationship with respect thereto comprising: a flexible, strip-form material composed of a dielectric material and including a strip-form body and at least two tabs folded from the ends of said strip-form body over said body an having aligned apertured portions at opposite ends of said body for supporting a wire threaded therethrough, and means retaining said ends in folded relation with respect to said body and securing said body to a fence post and the like.
 2. The insulating suPport device of claim 1 further characterized by said strip-form body having a pair of parallel-spaced-apart slots formed therein,opening at a common side edge of said strip-form body and terminating inwardly of an opposite side edge, thereby to form a pair of tabs outwardly of said slots with a central body portion therebetween, said tabs forming said flexible portion and being folded inwardly along axes extending generally colinearly of said slots and overlapping said strip-form body, each said tab having at least one aperture formed therein, and said strip-form body portion having apertures formed therein and disposed to be in alignment with said apertures formed in said tabs when the same are folded over said strip-form body, and said attachment means passing through aligned ones of said apertures to retain said tabs in their folded position, whereby said folded tabs cooperate with said central body portion to form loops encircling an adjoining fence wire for supporting the wire and restraining the same against displacement.
 3. The insulating support device of claim 2, wherein the attachment means to retain the tabs in their folded position also retains the device to a fence post and the like. 